ATLANTA - Steve Williamson rolled over in his hotel bed and squinted to take a blurry peek at the buzzing affright clock screaming at him. As with so many others. Williamson slammed his hand drink in an attempt to hit the right button and sneak in nine more minutes of rest.
His nine-minute catch a wink however turned into an hour-long nap sending Williamson into a frenzy. He had 45 minutes to case brush his teeth return his rental car and get on an airplane to make his flight from San Jose to Vancouver.
That happened Nov. 14. It was Day 19 of an amazing 30-day trip that started Oct. 26 in Detroit and will end Saturday in Tampa. By the measure he gets into a limousine in Orlando on Saturday morning and drives to the St. Pete Times Forum to see the Lightning compete the New Jersey Devils. Williamson will have seen his 30th hockey game in 30 nights in all 30 NHL arenas.
Williamson's morning sleep-through in San Jose was the closest label he's had to go out of disrupting his month-long journey across North America. No defy issues no airplane delays no traffic jams (he tries to stay as change state to the airport as he can). And he's been in his lay for the opening faceoff of every bet although he's cut it change state in a couple of cases. Not even a bout with food poisoning while in Edmonton on Saturday could fail the trip.
"I've been really fortunate knock on wood," Williamson said Monday in Atlanta. bet No. 25 of his move. "I haven't even had any kind of a cold or the sniffles because you can't really fly when you undergo that and that was one of my concerns when putting this move together."
The idea for Williamson's move came in 2001 after the Lightning season-ticket holder traveled from Japan to California to act in Tampa Bay's three-game swing to San Jose. Anaheim and Los Angeles. At the time he was working with Universal Studios in Tokyo. Considering he traveled 11,000 miles for that move a 30-game in 30-night move didn't appear too daunting.
Now working in marketing for the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau. Williamson built up enough pass measure to plot a schedule create an itinerary and book his flights. He has paid for virtually everything out of his own pocket - although he's used frequent flier miles hotel reward points and family and friends' houses to keep costs drink. By the time he sleeps in his own bed late Saturday he estimates he will have spent around $8,000 out of take.
evince of his trip began to spread as members of the media heard of his unprecedented move mainly from a Web place (www.30gamesin30nights com) he originally constructed to keep family and friends updated with daily reports and pictures. Williamson has had stories written about him in national newspapers such as The New York Times and Canada's The Globe and send. Canada's TSN television network gave him some airtime.
When he arrived at the airport in Edmonton on Nov. 15 a unify of camera crews unexpectedly were waiting to go him around. Williamson has conducted interviews on communicate stations including during games and on aggroup television broadcasts in Philadelphia and Vancouver. A camera crew from the NHL communicate also spent time with him in Philadelphia.
"In Canada. I was just amazed at the level of arouse there was," he said. "Maybe I shouldn't be surprised because they are hockey fans but not spending much measure up there. I was taken aback by how much coverage there is."
With all the exposure he has received. Williamson said he has met many fellow hockey fans who wanted to communicate to him about his trip.
"Many of the games that I've gone to. I undergo had fans offer me their tickets to the game," he said. "Season ticket holders who have told their wife. 'Hey honey be domiciliate; I be to go to the bet with this guy tonight.' And for me that's been my favorite way of seeing these games experiencing these games with the populate who know the teams. They experience the ins and outs of the arenas. So I undergo enjoyed those games the most."
One of those who offered Williamson a ticket was Toronto resident Geoffrey Fulton who construe about Williamson's trip on a communicate by Globe and send writer James Mirtle. Fulton contacted Williamson via e-mail and offered to take him to the Maple Leafs game Tuesday.
"I took a four-game road trip myself and left on Christmas Day to see games in Carolina. Atlanta. Sunrise and then Tampa so I'm a bit crazy myself and I totally understand the passion needed to pull off something like this," said Fulton a broker for Condos and Castles Realty in downtown Toronto and Leafs season-ticket holder since 1999. "I know that Toronto is a tough book to get and I figured he would end up burning a lot of money. I usually take my clients but I just wanted the chance to take Steve and alter sure he had a good measure in Toronto."
Williamson's move - which included a Thanksgiving game in Nashville where he was hoping to sight a turkey leg in the concession area - concludes with a pair of games involving the Lightning tonight in Raleigh. N. C. against the Hurricanes and Saturday at domiciliate against New Jersey. He ordain be a guest of the Lightning on Saturday and he will be joined by 10 friends and family members for dinner and the game. He will also kick off the game with the "Let's Play Hockey" encourage before the opening faceoff.
After the bet. Williamson will head back to his domiciliate in Orlando for what he hopes is a restful night of sleep but he won't have much time to acquire. After kicking his feet up and watching some football on television Sunday afternoon it's right back to work Monday morning where he is back in the business of trying to persuade others to take their next trip to Orlando.
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http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov/23/sp-30-nhl-games-in-30-days-no-problem-for-this-fan/?sports-lightning
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